Klay Thompson reflects on his childhood in Portland

Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson (11) heads back to the locker room after their 115-109 win against the Houston Rockets in Game 2 of their NBA second round playoff series at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, April 30, 2019. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

PORTLAND, Ore. – Should Klay Thompson need to feel inspired and rejuvenated again, he might want to avoid jumping into the water this time.

Thompson had benefited from cooling off in the Pacific Ocean during an off day last month in Los Angeles a day before Game 4 of the Warriors’ first-round series against the Clippers. Before the Warriors play the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 3 of the Western Conference on Saturday, though, Thompson might not want to swim here.

“You want to go to the Oregon coast, you might get hypothermia,” Thompson deadpanned. “You can jump in for a little bit. It would be all right. I might need to bring a wet suit. There might be a shark out there, or a pretty big-looking seal.”

Thompson’s comments might spark a few laughs. They often do. But Thompson knows from experience. He spent his early childhood in Portland. Then, he played youth sports in basketball, football, baseball and soccer. Just like he does in the Bay Area, Thompson has enjoyed the outdoors. And even when accounting for also living in the Bahamas, Los Angeles and the Bay Area, Thompson wondered recently if he considers Portland to be his true home.

“Portland is up there just because I spent my whole childhood there,” Thompson said. “The West Coast and the Bahamas are where my heart’s at.”

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Klay Thompson (right) used to play football in middle school along with childhood friend, Spencer. Photo courtesy: Steve Beyrle.

How Portland shaped Thompson

Therefore, Thompson has a specific itinerary here besides just playing in Game 3 (Saturday) and Game 4 (Monday) against the Trail Blazers. He plans to eat at Burgerville, which he considers to be the best burger joint in Portland. He plans to visit uncles, aunts and cousins from his mother’s side, Julie, as well as childhood friends. And even if he enjoys the sunny skies and warmer weather in the Bahamas, Los Angeles and the Bay Area, Thompson might enjoy Portland’s chilly climate, too.

“I’m like a chameleon, I can adapt to anything,” Thompson said. “I do love Portland. I actually don’t mind the rain. I appreciate how green Oregon is. I appreciate the clean air, the trees, all the beautiful landscape and the terrain.”

Despite tolerating the frequent clouds and storms, Thompson did not always stay outside. The overcast weather often prompted Thompson to stay indoors. Then, he discovered his first love on the hardwood.

“It rained so much up there, so I spent so much dang time in the gym because of the rain,” Thompson said. “I’m grateful for it.”

Obviously. Thompson has since cemented an eight-year NBA career with the Warriors along with three NBA championships, five All-Star appearances and countless shooting records.

Well before he carved out that resume, Thompson’s foundation started as a seventh grader at a youth basketball camp at Lake Oswego. Then, Joey Kaempf helped Thompson develop his shooting stroke. Thompson’s father, Mychal, did the same thing considering he carved out a prolific NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers (1978-1986), San Antonio Spurs (1986-87) and Los Angeles Lakers (1987-1991). Nonetheless, Mychal credited Kaempf for “teaching the fundamentals and for Klay learning how to play the game the right way.”

“Since then,” Thompson said, “I just fell in love with shooting.”

Thompson fell in love with other youth sports, too.

From sixth to eighth grade (2001-2003), Thompson played youth football at the quarterback position. Mychal considered Klay “so smooth and so accurate as a passer” that he often told his son that he was built like former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana. Steve Beyrle, Klay’s youth football coach, also marveled at how he relied on his throwing accuracy, mobility and decision-making to make up for his shyness in calling plays. So much that Beyrle believes Thompson would have received attention from colleges had he continued playing football in high school.

“I wonder what would’ve happened,” Beyrle said. “Klay was more unique as a football player than a basketball player.”

Klay was also unique as a baseball player with the Lake Oswego Lakers. As both a shortstop and pitcher, Klay excelled all over the bases en route to a city championship at 11 years old. Bill Mooney, who coached Klay and his two brothers (Trayce, Mychel), featured Klay as his leadoff hitter because of his strong batting and baserunning.

Mooney found Klay an effective basestealer by striking a good balance between taking advantage of the opposing team’s inattentiveness, while avoiding too many risks. Mooney often featured Klay on the mound because of his curveball that he called “very deceptive.” Mychal likened Klay’s curveball to former MLB pitcher Bert Blyleven. Just like Klay does with handling shooting slumps, Mooney observed Klay remained unaffected with striking out or committing an error.

“I tease Mychal and Klay all the time,” Mooney said. “When he’s done with his rec league in the NBA and he wants to really be a pro athlete, I’ll help him get back to being a pitcher.”

( Sean Hiller/Daily Breeze)

Thompson grew up a ‘big-time’ Blazers fan

Klay often jokes about joining the Big Leagues, too. Even then, though, Mychal said that Klay “knew basketball was going to be his main sport.” It helped that Mychal already cemented an NBA career. After he stopped playing professionally, Mychal often took Klay to Trail Blazers games.

Soon, Klay became what he called a “big-time Blazers fan” for reasons beyond Portland selecting Mychal at No. 1 in the 1978 NBA Draft. Mychal often took Klay to the Rose Garden, which has since been renamed and renovated as the Moda Center.

Then, Klay soon considered Rasheed Wallace to be his favorite player and became close friends with his two sons. After one game in 1998, Thompson met Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen after the Chicago Bulls played Portland.

“That was probably my favorite memory, just because when they came to town it was like you had to go to that game,” Klay said. “It’s kind of similar what we bring when the Warriors come to town.”

Klay’s stature does not mimic Jordan’s. Yet, Klay has also prompted family members and childhood friends to attend Blazers games anytime the Warriors have visited. There have been plenty of memories. He had one of his three 30-point games here when the Warriors beat Portland in five games of the 2016 Western Conference semifinals. This season, Klay snapped a nine-game slump by scoring 32 points while going 12 of 21 from the field and 4 of 5 from deep against Portland. Klay even talked to his right hand after making one of his shots.

How Klay handled leaving Portland

After all, Klay’s childhood consisted of playing sports, enjoying the outdoors and playing with friends. So much that Mychal estimated that “every Saturday, it seemed like we were making 20 hamburgers and making 60 pancakes for their friends.”

Those fun times eventually stopped. Mychal moved his family to Orange County in 2004 after accepting a job to be the Lakers’ radio analyst, a job he still holds 15 years later.

Mychal considered the move to be difficult, mindful of the friendships his three sons struck in Portland and “how much they loved living there.” It appears Klay shook off the move just as he does with shooting slumps.

“Klay is very adaptable,” Mychal said. “You hate to leave his friends. But he’s an easy-going kid. He thinks things through and is introspective. As much as he hated going, I figured he’d make the adjustment.”

Klay did. Mychal enrolled Klay at Santa Margarita Catholic High, where he eventually helped its basketball team a 30-5 record and a Division III state championship his senior year nearly 10 years ago. That fielded enough interest for Klay to receive a scholarship at Washington State. After becoming the Cougars’ third-all-time leading scorer (1,756) and first in 3-pointers (242) through three years, Klay became the Warriors’ No. 11 draft pick in 2011.

Eight years later, Klay has returned to a place he calls home once again. Hence, Klay has more sources of inspiration than needing to dive into one of the city’s frigid rivers or lakes. Then again, Klay just might take a quick dip in either the Columbia River, Willamette River or Lake Oswego.

“We can find some nice body of water,” Thompson said. “They have a lot of them up there.”